This invention is directed to swimpants and swimsuits for pre-toilet trained children. More particularly, the swimwear includes an antimicrobial treatment for treating bacteria in a swimming pool environment.
Swim pants and swimsuits for pre-toilet trained children are designed to contain urine and bowel movements prior to swimming, similar to ordinary diapers and training pants. Even though the absorbent swimwear is designed to prevent leakage of urine and bowel movements out of the garment and seepage of swim water into the garment, swim water inevitably tends to make its way into the garment. The swim water inside the garment mixes with the urine and bowel movements inside the garment and may re-enter the swimming environment along with bacteria originating in the urine and bowel movements.
There is a need or desire for an absorbent swimwear garment that contains an agent that can eliminate or reduce the level of bacteria in swim water.
The present invention is directed to a pant-like absorbent swimwear garment, such as a swim pant or a swimsuit, that includes an antimicrobial agent that can be stabilized by chlorinated or brominated water. The antimicrobial agent can eliminate or reduce the level of bacteria in a swimming pool environment, particularly bacteria present as a result of fecal discharge. Escherichia coli (E. coli) is an example of one type of bacteria caused by fecal discharge.
Hydantoin and its derivatives can be used as antimicrobial agents. One particularly suitable hydantoin derivative is N-Halamine. An N-Halamine contains a halogen atom which can be effective at eliminating E. coli and other bacteria such as Proteus mirabilis (P. mirabilis). The N-Halamine can be obtained by exposing hydantoin (a 5-membered ring with nitrogen) to bleach (sodium hypochlorite) or other sources of chlorine or bromine. The hydantoin or its derivative can be applied to, or incorporated within, an absorbent swimwear garment, for example, via a modified polystyrene particle, or by grafting the antimicrobial agent onto pulp and then incorporating the grafted pulp into the swimwear garment, or by topically applying the hydantoin or its derivative to the swimwear garment. Exposure to chlorinated or brominated swim water then stabilizes the antimicrobial agent when the swimwear product is in use, i.e., being exposed to chlorinated or brominated swim water, thereby rendering the product effective for eliminating or reducing the level of bacteria that may occur from a bodily discharge.
With the foregoing in mind, it is a feature and advantage of the invention to provide an absorbent swimwear garment with an antimicrobial agent therein.